The two party chairs agree, however, that the loud, sometimes physical melee outside the Minneapolis Convention Center fundraiser was not acceptable.

“Democrats are free to protest, but physically accosting people is becoming all too common, and it needs to stop,” Downey said.

“We support the right of protesters to gather peacefully, but what happened on Friday night crossed the line. There is no excuse for violence in any form,” Martin said.

The protesters had a motley mix of agendas. Some were against Trump’s stance on immigration; others burned an American flag. Early on, a Democratic National Committee-sponsored be-costumed “Donald Duck” came and left, and some protesters clad in black masks added their voices.

Some attendees had security escorts to and from the convention center so they could leave unscathed. A 75-year-old man who attended the fundraiser reported he was robbed of his cellphone as he left, and punches were exchanged between at least one attendee and protesters.

On Monday, the Minneapolis Police Department said in a statement that it is investigating three incidents related to the fundraiser: “a ‘robbery of person’ where a cellphone was taken, an ‘assault’ where a person had souvenirs ripped out of their hand, and a ‘damage to property’ report after someone spray-painted graffiti on the convention center itself.”

The police department, which said it had dozens of officers working at or near the event, said the suggestion that it had been told to “stand down” was false.

“The majority of protests were peaceful throughout the evening and minor disruptions to traffic were handled without incident. Late in the evening, after the candidate left, Minneapolis Police Officers provided approximately 50 escorts for those who attended the event. However, we understand there were some attendees who left without escorts who were the subject of intimidation and abuse. The MPD is currently looking at video from some of these incidents,” the statement said.

Rachel E. Stassen-Berger was a Minnesota Capitol reporter for the Pioneer Press from 2001 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2017.

As you comment, please be respectful of other commenters and other viewpoints. Our goal with article comments is to provide a space for civil, informative and constructive conversations. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem to be defamatory, rude, insulting to others, hateful, off-topic or reckless to the community. See our full terms of use here.

Did the Democrats wear their white hoods or black hoods that night? Oh, I see the videos. They wore their black hoods. Did they burn crosses or flags? Oops, I see. It was American flags that they burned.

Viktor

The GOP wear white hoods and burn crosses, at least since the 60’s when segregationists and anti-Civil Rights Democrats (Dixiecrats) moved to the Republican Party.

DavefromMinn

Actually only 1 Dixiecrat switched parties. Good ol’ Strom. Could be because he had a bi-racial daughter. All the rest of the Dixiecrats stayed home in the Democrat party until they died. Most southern states had Democrat governors and legislatures well into the 1990s when all the old segregationalists died off.

Strom didn’t switch parties because he raped an underage black girl and got her pregnant. You don’t say things like “here’s not enough troops in the army to force the southern people to
break down segregation and admit the n—– race into our theaters, into
our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches” if you aren’t a staunch racist who actually has feelings for your child who is biracial. No, Strom, like many others racists, found a home in the Republican Party.

Bo Darville

The post-segregation South was Republican. The segregation South was Democrat. Facts.

I-am-N

The anti freedom side, now, is Democrat.

dean

No doubt about that.

I-am-N

Well, it always was Democrat. The Republicans had to fight them on slavery, Women’s right to vote, civil rights, gun rights, freedom of speech…

dean

Absolutely undeniable.

dean

Viktor, you have no grasp of reality whatsoever. Go check your facts. You are so wrong it is just unbelievable. It is apparent you never took any kind of history class through high school or college, or Modern Events or whatever.

mexiapolis

Democrat Senator & Senate majority leader 2007-2010.

all heart

If one of you AIDS infected varmints spit on a Policeman it’s felony assault. If it’s the same for normal citizens then a citizen could probably legally shoot you if you try to spit on them. Think about that.

Viktor

What are you talking about? Where did this come from?

Alumni69

From the part of his anatomy that he sits on.

Wayne from Woodbury

I believe Abe Lincoln’s (Republican) hat was black and what he and the republican party majority in congress burned was the slaveholding south. Keep voting democrat and they will keep the programs flowing that replaced slavery as way to keep blacks dependent and poor.

I-am-N

Pants on fire. You are reaching for straws. The animals are on the Left. The KKK were Democrat enforcers. The Republicans are not the anti semite KKK and left.

HonkyTonkin

BLM the Klan with a tan.

George Orwell

Viktor, you are so wrong it is embarrassing. Use a search engine to check your ‘facts’.

Apothis

Oh really? It is statements like that define stupidity.

Viktor

Why? Who is supporting Trump? I certainly don’t see a lot of KKK support for Obama, or for Hillary.

But for some odd reason, all of the white supremacists are rallying for the GOP…. Hmmm…. wonder why?

Apothis

You sound like you know them personally…….continuing stupidity Viktor.

There are videos out there of an anti-Republican protester coming up behind the lady and slugging her a few times.
I think this begs the question….are Republicans safe in Betsy’s Minneapolis?

teaminfidel911

the same betsy wetsy that flashes gang signs?

Wanye Kest

Nobody is safe in Bike-Lane Betty’s town. She sees herself receiving a plum (rhymes with dumb) position in the Clinton administration. Ambassador to Libya seems appropriate. She’s used to being surrounded by gunfire. I’m surprised she hasn’t started wearing pantsuits 24/7. What a worthless boot lick.

Alumni69

False. There is no such video.

I-am-N

Then how did I see it as well?

These people are truly sick. They also feel empowered as their victims are not fighting back.

DavefromMinn

I-am…do you have the link? I will look for it later if I get time. But us Republicans have jobs so need to work all day.

I-am-N

Between The PP and Breitbart, I have run into quite a few videos showing those protesters punching and grabbing a cell phone out of someone’s back pocket.

Sportinlife10

They might be sick, but they’re mostly mean.

dean

Ooooooh, yes there is! It was all over the front page of both the Star and the PP when it happened. Where have you been?

justme

What is it? It only seems the angry agitators, vandals and thieves come from and are educated by the democratic liberals who seem to condone and encourage this lawless violent behavior.

Mac David

Are you forgetting the tRUMP conventions where some of the vocal opposition were greeted with punches to the head? This is what happens when you have a presidential candidate spouting bigotry, lies and hatred about half the population in this country and continually incites violence against others.

justme

Yeah!! You’re right, so if someone says something that I don’t like I have the right to harass, punch, kick, spit on them or even worse. Wow! You are one smart person, would have never thought I would be allowed to do that.

Patski

I saw one guy get punched in the face (on t.v.)….and he deserved it because he was mouthing off like a jackasss…. These people at the Trump rally were doing nothing but trying to get in/out of the building when they were assaulted by these terrorists. These are all of Hillary’s terrorists.

dean

Hillary and her pals, like Mark Dayton.

dean

Yes, and their local leader Mark (Red) Dayton supports and even instigates this type of behavior.

Nukeguy79

Typical cancer to society liberals.

EmperorNorton

They spit on people. Leftists are animals.

Nom de Plume

Animals don’t spit on people, or other animals. It takes a very special type of human to act in such a vile manner… and the dfl’s got em all.

David Miller

Yet not one person arrested. Imagine that. Had this been a Clinton fundraiser with those on the right protesting I am sure there would have been some arrests.

FlyingFarang

I see the “Journalists” are still referring to the assaults and harassment as heckling. I wonder what they would be saying had it been reversed. They for sure would be demanding an apology.

Chris

WRONG REPORTING! the intolerant leftist/communists who did the terrorism of course agrees with the terrorism, but the law abiding conservatives who were terrorized don’t agree with it.

Johnny Monday

Harassing, terrorizing, and bullying sound like the typical Drumpf supporter. It’s hard to believe anyone is foolish enough to give #LoserDon any money when 1.) he’s going to lose and 2.) most of his campaign payments go into his own pockets.

Nom de Plume

I see you don’t go in big on reading comprehension

I-am-N

Yeah, but the violence was done by the evil Hillary supporters.

justme

You’re such a dope!

Bootes

Progressive or regressive ? What happened to my Grandfathers old party? I’m amazed and curious on exactly how Hillary Clinton and her campaign have been able to brainwash the vast majority of Democrats into believing that it is a fundamental acceptable to have no morals, no ethics, no conscience and that “the end justifies the means” mentality. That these once negative attributes and character flaws are now qualifications for leadership. American values such as humility has now been replaced with arrogance, empathy is replaced with selfishness, honesty is replaced with deception and manipulation, transparency is replace with backroom secrets and cover ups. History has demonstrated that this type of leadership creates a pathway towards tyranny and the relinquishing of human rights. Hillary is crooked and “progressive” is her mantra .

Nom de Plume

It wasn’t quick, cheap or easy, but about 3 generations of public education and entitlement subsidies seems to have created the necessary critical mass.

Mac David

“a fundamental acceptable to have……” You may want to edit this mess or continue sounding like an uneducated victimized whiner.
PS. Regardless how you characterize her, Hilary Clinton will be our next President.

linderberg

But that doesn’t alter the fact that she is a ling, cheating, dishonest beast.

from my view2

God help us all if that happens.

Ron Radke

Boo hoo to all you Trump dopes. Did you complain when protesters were punched and spit on at Dopey Donald’s rallies? Of course not.

I-am-N

Well, they kicked out the punching and spitting Bernie supporters.

Dvdvdvd

Protesters need jobs. Idle minds… I guess spit on people. Gross. Get a job… Mpls is about to pay you $15 an hour by law. That will change your life.

I-am-N

The vile leftists spit on Trump supporters so both are at fault. I was thinking about what I would do if I went and had family members with me. Those who started the trouble would have a very unhappy ending, but then, it would get reported how bad the Trump supporters were. It is pure evil and pure Alinsky.

BTW – the book is dedicated to Lucifer and it is highly endorsed by Hillary. She is right there, with Obama, on the back cover.

Alumni69

False, but that never stops you from making ridiculous statements.

I-am-N

I checked the book out from my local Library. Obama and Hillary are on the back. Hillary is quoted on the back cover, giving it her full support. Its dedication to Lucifer is at the beginning of the book.

I am sure others have seen the book as well.

I-am-N

It rambles around because Alinsky does not have principles. He does come out saying there is no truth. Getting what you want is most important and tells how to be manipulative to get it.

Also, on page 20 something, he states that Newton subjected nature to his own personal framework. Meaning, Math and Science are not real. They are something of Newton’s own construction, and not what it really is, the discover of how things really are.

I-am-N

You remind me of the spineless Euro wimps that claim that the incredible rise of rapes is caused by locals.

Stop living the lie.

I Detest Leftists

Democrats….. the new Brownshirts. This literally reminds me of what the Nazi’s did in 1933.

Mac David

Enjoy the November landslide! I know I will………………..

I-am-N

Hitler won. What is your point.

Dvdvdvd

Why wasn’t this covered at all? Congrats to twincities.com but you don’t see this anywhere else. This is pretty bad. The press wonders why people think they are biased. Too bad from all sides it is hard to just get straight up news these days.

I-am-N

Someone will end up in the hospital or morgue the way this is going. If an Officer was assaulted like this, the perpetrator would be hurting and under arrest for sure. The police do need to step in and keep the peace. Next time, a Democrat may pose a substantial physical threat and get met with potentially lethal force as a result. If the police allow this, the city or police will be responsible because they did not take action to halt the attack.

Mac David

Because there was no attack or the police would have been involved.

DavefromMinn

There are videos out there of a white hooded…I mean black hooded protester coming up behind a lady and he starts slugging her. I will post a link if I get time. The same video shows other assaults on Republican-Americans.

I-am-N

Video is all over the place out there. Search YouTube. Look at Breitbart. Even the PP has had stuff.

from my view2

lies again

Herbie53

So the democrats are feigning outrage. They finance, feed, and ship in these so-called “protesters”, but now they claim they’re “unacceptable”. Great move, party of hate.

I-am-N

They will blame Trump and his supporters for that hate.

dean

Oh, you betcha. The DFL will blame everybody and everything, except themselves.

I-am-N

Of course! You see they dug up Carville to go spread the manure that opposing the Clinton Foundation will kill kids and send you to hell.

linderberg

That’s because spreading manure is all Carville is good for.

I-am-N

And being super nasty while doing so. The Left eats it up. They love the trash talking, drag a dollar through a trailer park, kids will die and you will go to hell, kind of talk.

The talk went from emails to the Clinton Foundation. That is their bank account. That is the sacred cow. This is the kind of stuff Carville gets unleashed for.

Jon Jay

true

Viktor

Trump welcomed this behavior when it was pro-GOP. Didn’t anybody see this coming?

Sure didn’t see any condemnation from pro-Trumpers when black people were being violently pushed around, assaulted, and violently removed from Trump rallies.

Now, let someone get spit on, a phone gets stolen and it’s the end of the world.

Herbie53

Why would pro-Trumpers condemn the removal of violent black people at Trump rallies? If they behaved they were not removed. Little dramatic with the “violently pushed around, assaulted, and violently removed”. Again – behave and nothing happens regardless of race.
Not sure if you saw the tiny bit of coverage the left media did, but even that shows your little description of what happened the other night is completely false.
Trump never welcomed violent chaos at any rally. Your partisan hate is showing.

from my view2

Not true Viktor

Alumni69

I’m a left-wing liberal and I abhore the behavior of the protestors at the Trump fundraiser. These people do NOT represent the vast majority of Democrats. It seems like the same group of misfits shows up to protest every event, no matter who or what is involved.

But Alum, I’ve been going to Republican events since the early 90s when I was in high school, and angry Democrats are always there. Granted, not as violent as they people, but your side always feels the need to go to our events and spew hate at us.

Scooby Doo

This is the kind of garbage you get with Democrats in charge. A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue wading in the liberal cesspool that is killing this nation. What a bunch of chumps we are to keep voting for these idiotic Democrats

Minnesota SameSex,SanutaryState,Same Bathrooms instead of Miracle we now have Massacre, Question as the Mpls Police Chief is a Lesbian does this have any undue influence on her Cops not to arrest DFL is the Demise,Figs,Lesbian Party Vote Republican to honor Donald Trump

WeekendThinker

You need to go away………..far far away. You have no idea what you’re talking about and you’re only making more people aware of it.
You will not be elected, and using this forum to campaign for any public office is so inappropriate. You really need to have your brain checked for defects.

And how dare you spew nasty crap about someone’s sexuality? Especially since you have none.

Sharon Scarrella Peterson Anderson Widow of Silver Star Marine Korea The Public has the Right and Priveleges to know and hold accountable Public Officials, PS Its more fun getting there than being elected, Sharon does not want the Job but filing Certifys her Legal domicile at 1058 Summit, Blogger has forensic files for the past 40 ytrs.
HEY BOY or Punkie Male

WeekendThinker

If you got any dumber, you’d be 6 feet under.

You do not, and never have, had any right to call the Governor’s mansion home. You lie like a rug. A worn out, old, ugly rug that belongs in the garbage.

Wblmi

Wow

She is a kook.

WeekendThinker

And people wonder why Coleman is our Mayor. This is the kind of dog crap that ran against him.
Hopefully next time we’ll have someone that actually has a brain………

Wblmi

No way. She ran for mayor? When? Not being a resident I had no idea

WeekendThinker

Last election, and any other public office on the ballots, for years. She’s a loony bin candidate too.

This is taken as a Threat on a senior Citizen, Blind in L eye from Med.Malpractice, Sharons Legal Homestead at 1058 Summit st. Paul is 4 houses away from Gov Mansion, Go Trump4Truth

WeekendThinker

No one has threatened any one. Where do you come up with this stuff? And you’re not a senior, you’re an old bag. You belong in protective custody. You’re a threat to yourself.
You don’t now, or have you ever lived anywhere on Summit. It’s a farce that’s been proven to be a lie, over and over.
Now go crawl back into your cage and stop trying to use public comment boards to “campaign” for any of the political offices you’ll never have.

Actually if not 4 Trump4Truth Weekend Thinker and or Week stinker does not pass the smell test just google Sharon4Anderson vs. City St. Paul, current Candidate for MNag, TODAY at the Budget and Council Meeting will Challenge Excessive Consumption as unconstituytionally Vague, Arbitrary Capericous, that Steve Magner who lives in Stillwater, Salary over 1k and his emloyees must have their pictures plastered over the Web so We the Citizens Taxpayers know who we are Dealing with City St. Paul must recind the bIZZARE Resoluation deny Trump from St. Paul,MN
Hey westinker where is your pic

WeekendThinker

Gee. If you blocked us, why are we still seeing your line of bs?
YOU are the one that doesn’t pass the smell test. How do you manage to walk around all the time when your head is clearly up your behind? You are nuttier than a fruit cake. You lie like a worn out , dirty, disgusting rug that need to be buried in a land fill.

theoko

Inane word salad = Sharon4Anderson

WeekendThinker

Ain’t she a hoot? Brains of a dead fish. Elevator doesn’t go to the top, and the driveway doesn’t go to the garage…………lol

glg5151

Mayor Hodges and Police Chief are worthless and need to go!

dbennett

As leftists like Hodges and Harteau wink at each other…

Skip67

If protesters outside of a Clinton rally acted like that the Left would scream loudly about those antics. and justifiably so. But they do it….and somehow it’s justified because what…..they believe their cause to be more just?? It’s wrong when either party behaves that way. Clean it up!

bob r

When the he!! are the police going to start doing their job! First blm can do whatever they want with gov crybaby saying it us scadihovians fault! In the ’60s when we used to protest the war, the cops were all over us. What kind of a pansy state have we turned into? Mn the snowflake state!

I-am-N

Europe went snowflake decades ago. Now they are importing young single male refugees and the rape – assault, and crime rates are through the roof. The locals get blamed and the US Snowflakes believe it. The anti Trump rent a mobs are violent and again, the US snowflakes believe it is Trump and his supporters committing the violence.

The police do what their city bosses want. Wait for the US government to completely take them over with horrendous hands off rules of engagement towards violent Dem mobs. The victims will fight back and get blamed for the whole thing. The goals are to use the mobs to keep the freedom lovers in line, and then to provoke the freedom lovers to defend themselves so the media can have some little video bits to sustain the lies.

More in Government & Politics

Undocumented immigrants living in Minnesota had hopes in two controversial proposals supported by Democrats: increases in state-funded student scholarship grants and driver's licenses for all. Neither proposal reached the desk of Gov. Tim Walz. UNDOCUMENTED COLLEGE STUDENTS Democrats in the Minnesota House wanted to give more state grant money to undocumented immigrants who are attending college but do not qualify...

Lawmakers approved a number of reforms related to sex crimes and sexual misconduct. Some arguably long-overdue changes to state law were approved last year but ultimately vetoed by former Gov. Mark Dayton for unrelated reasons. SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVOR RIGHTS Lawmakers approved a series of changes to state laws designed to protected, empower and respect survivors of sexual trauma. They include:...

The two top priorities for LGBTQ rights advocates didn't make it. For both a ban on so-called gay "conversion therapy" and a measure to allow two married women have the same parental rights as a man-woman married couple failed to gain enough support in the Republican-majority Senate to reach the desk of Gov. Tim Walz. CONVERSION THERAPY Gay rights advocates...

Lakeland Mayor Richard Glasgow went to U.S. Bank in Lakeland on Wednesday morning — the day after he tried unsuccessfully to have resident Doug Sand appointed to the Lakeland City Council — and allegedly had a written oath of office notarized with Sand’s signature on it. Sources say Glasgow then dropped the document on City Clerk Kate Piscitello’s desk at...

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has personally and repeatedly urged the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to award a border wall contract to a North Dakota construction firm whose top executive is a GOP donor and frequent guest on Fox News, according to three administration officials. In phone calls, White House meetings and conversations aboard Air Force...

A bid to fully ban wolf hunting in Minnesota appears to have fallen short of reaching the desk of Gov. Tim Walz, who had indicated he likely would have signed it. The development became clear Wednesday and Thursday, when state lawmakers from both parties presented a compromise agreement on natural resources and environmental policy that left out the ban, which...